The Malwa contingent: In Mann’s Cabinet rejig, attempt to recoup after Sangrur loss

In the state polls held in February this year, the AAP had bagged 66 out of the 69 seats in Malwa, including all nine Assembly segments in the Sangrur Parlimentary constituency from where Mann was a second term MP. In the same region, however, the party lost its first battle of prestige recently as Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann defeated the AAP candidate Gurmel Singh by a margin of 6,700 in the Sangrur bypoll.

The expansion effected Monday has now created a lopsided Cabinet that now has nine ministers from Malwa, including four from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency alone. Doaba, where AAP won 10 of 25 seats, is represented by only one minister — Bram Shankar Jimpa. The Majha region, on the other hand, where it won 16 of 23 seats, now has five ministers, including new inductee Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar.

The other minister from Majha include Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Laljit Singh Bhullar and Harbhajan Singh ETO.

Earlier, the Cabinet had six ministers from Malwa including CM. Later, Mann had sacked one of them, Dr Vijay Singla on charges of corruption.

Others in Cabinet from Malwa include Harpal Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, are Dr Baljit Kaur and Harjot Bains.

While the Cabinet now has eight Jat Sikhs, four SCs, two Hindus and two women, there is no Muslim representation.

In the Cabinet expansion, the party again ignored the veterans including Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Budh Ram and Baljinder Kaur. The party also ignored former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap, who was conspicuous by his absence at the oath taking ceremony.

The party also ignored the giant killers including those who had defeated former chief ministers Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, former Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu.

CM Mann, however, hinted that that the AAP MLAs who could not secure a berth in his cabinet might be given “big responsibilities” in future. Mann said all 92 party MLAs are “diamonds” and “big responsibilities” will be given to them in future.

“Whether they won for the first time or the second time, it does not matter,” said Mann.

The chief minister said people of Punjab brought AAP to power with big expectations.

“I will try every possible step to live up to the expectations of people,” he said.